Iran war enters its 6th week as military searches for downed jet crew member

## Summary
Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe The war in Iran entered its 6th week on Saturday, as the search continues for the missing U.S. service member who bailed out of a U.S. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe Here's more news from the war on Iran on Saturday: Downed jets | Lebanon | Oracle building Downed jets call U.S. air dominance into question An American fighter jet went down in Iran and one crew member has been rescued on Friday, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images Numerous videos have also appeared showing planes and helicopters that closely resemble American search and rescue (SAR) aircraft flying in southwestern Iran. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images Katz also reiterated threats against Hezbollah militants fighting Israel in Lebanon, saying Israel will act forcefully against rocket fire and that Hezbollah will "pay a heavy price." Israeli officials have outlined plans to occupy a large swath of southern Lebanon as a so-called "security zone." Israeli ground troops have razed residential buildings while airstrikes have hit multiple bridges severing vital routes between southern Lebanon and the north.

## Article Content
Iran war enters its 6th week as military searches for downed jet crew member
April 4, 2026
6:48 AM ET
By
NPR Staff
People view the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026 west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran.
Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe
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The war in Iran entered its 6th week on Saturday, as the search continues for the missing U.S. service member who bailed out of a U.S. F15-E fighter jet, shot down by Iranian fire on Friday.
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A second U.S. Air Force combat plane was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to a U.S. official, capping off another week of intensified fighting in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, U.S. and Israeli warplanes continued to pound Iran hitting several targets, including Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Zone, a major oil industry hub in southwestern Iran, according to Iranian media.
An airstrike near Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility was reported by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. In a
X post
, the organization said a security guard was killed in the attack, which also damaged a support building.
The Israeli military said it had also conducted overnight airstrikes in Tehran, targeting ballistic and anti-aircraft missile storage facilities.
And in Dubai, authorities said that falling debris from intercepted drones damaged the facade of two buildings, including one belonging to U.S. tech firm Oracle. Iran also hit a water desalination plant and an oil refinery in Kuwait.
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This, as dozens of countries — not including the U.S. or Israel — have launched efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which 20% of the world's oil supply passes, and that has been largely blocked by Iran in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes. President Trump said Friday it would take "a little more time" but would be easy to open the strait.
As the 5th week of fighting in Iran came to an end, 365 U.S. service members have been wounded, according to Pentagon data. The death toll remains at 13 service members killed in combat.
In Iran, at least 2,076 people have been killed by US-Israeli attacks since Feb. 28, according to the country's Health Ministry.
The interior of a residential building that was damaged by recent strikes at Vahdat town on April 3, 2026 in Karaj, southwest of Tehran, Iran.
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Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe
Here's more news from the war on Iran on Saturday:
Downed jets
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Lebanon
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Oracle building
Downed jets call U.S. air dominance into question
An American fighter jet went down in Iran and one crew member has been rescued on Friday, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The official said that a search is underway by U.S. forces to find the second crew member.
Photos posted to Telegram by Iran's Fars news agency showed debris from what appeared to be an American aircraft. One piece of debris in the photos closely resembles the vertical stabilizer of an F-15 Strike Eagle. A separate photo posted by an IRGC-affiliated channel appeared to show an empty F-15 ejection seat. The F-15 is a tactical fighter that typically carries a crew of two, according to the Air Force.
USAF military ground personnel prepare Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) for a US Air Force (USAF) B-1 Lancer bomber jet on the tarmac the tarmac at RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 14, 2026.
Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
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Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
Numerous videos have also appeared showing planes and helicopters that closely resemble American search and rescue (SAR) aircraft flying in southwestern Iran. NPR was able to geolocate one of the videos to a bridge in the province of Khuzestan. The bridge is located in a mountainous area approximately 100 miles inland.
Separately on Friday, a U.S. official told NPR a second combat plane with only one crew member was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. That crew member has been rescued.
The two events are rare and follow assertions by U.S. officials that the U.S. military had achieved "total air dominance" in the war in Iran.
Israel's invasion of Lebanon continues
Lebanon's government says at least 23 people were killed in Israeli attacks Friday, as Israel steps up airstrikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
On Friday, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the approximately 600,000 residents who have been forced out of southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return until security is guaranteed for Israel's northern residents. Katz did not elaborate on how Israel will determine that. Throughout Lebanon more than one million people have been displaced.
A displa

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
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### Areas for Consideration
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### Implications
- On Friday, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the approximately 600,000 residents who have been forced out of southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return until security is guaranteed for Israel's northern residents.
- Katz did not elaborate on how Israel will determine that.
- Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images Katz also reiterated threats against Hezbollah militants fighting Israel in Lebanon, saying Israel will act forcefully against rocket fire and that Hezbollah will "pay a heavy price." Israeli officials have outlined plans to occupy a large swath of southern Lebanon as a so-called "security zone." Israeli ground troops have razed residential buildings while airstrikes have hit multiple bridges severing vital routes between southern Lebanon and the north.
- Embassy in Beirut says Iran may now target U.S. universities in Lebanon.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers iran, getty, images topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1237.